“We do! we do! we do!” mewed the cats. “She never cares what becomes of poor cats and kittens.”
Then the cats tumbled over each other, and tumbled over Linda, and crowded round her and upon her, until she was sitting under a heap of cats, with only her face peeping out, and Topsy was crouching in front, looking fiercely at her.
“Now that you cannot stir,” said Topsy, “I am going to scratch you.”
“Oh! oh! oh!” shrieked Linda, and she gave such a start that all the cats fell down upon the ground; and at that moment she opened her eyes, and found herself in her bed, with her mother standing beside her.
“What is the matter?” asked her mother, for she had heard Linda scream.
“Oh! oh! oh!” sobbed Linda, “I have had such a horrid dream.”
“Well, it was only a dream. You are awake now, and I am with you.”
“Every one in the world hates me, even the cats and the carrots,” sobbed Linda, and bit by bit she told her mother all her dream.
“It was such a horrid dream, and I was so frightened,” said Linda, “I can’t think why it came.”
“I will tell you,” said her mother; “it came out of your own heart. You had been thinking of the words I said to you, that every one would dislike you but myself. I am glad that you have had this dream, for it shows me that my words have sunk into my little girl’s heart, and I hope now that she will try to improve.”